


Joke Me Something Awful

by alliterations



Series: Bang The Doldrums [2]
Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: M/M, Summer, Swimming, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-13
Updated: 2012-07-13
Packaged: 2017-11-09 21:12:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/458489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alliterations/pseuds/alliterations
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school AU. Somewhere between being friends and being friends with benefits, there was a tipping point.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Joke Me Something Awful

**Author's Note:**

> I never intended this to kind of…become it’s own thing, but it has. Title comes from “I’ve Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea that Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song)” by Fall Out Boy. I have no idea how all of these fics decided to be titled from lyrics of songs by them, either, but I figure if you got a pattern, stick with it. Chronologically, this fic is second in the series. Enjoy!

During the last week of summer vacation, the season dug its claws in and the city was hit by a freak heat wave, temperatures rising into the thirties. At first, Neku endured the sweltering weather in front of a fan while he worked through a stack of videogames, but before too long, the noise of his cell phone buzzing insistently against his desk pulled him out of his stupor. He knew who it was before he even glanced at the screen. 

“Hey, Josh.” 

“I’m bored.” There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. “Let’s go do something today.” 

“You know how hot it is, right?” He thought he remembered the news saying it could hit over 37 again. “You actually want to go out in that?” 

“It’s better than sitting around here. I spent all of _yesterday_ cooped up.” Neku heard rustling, like Joshua was adjusting himself in a chair or on a couch, and nearly groaned in defeat when a particular persuasive, swaying edge crept into the other’s tone. “And I’m sure we can find something diverting to do that keeps us out of the heat for the most part.” 

“That sounds like you already have something in mind.” 

“Maybe. So I’ll see you at Hachiko soon?” 

“Yeah.” Neku stood, wincing at the feeling of the skin on the back of his thighs coming unstuck from the plastic of his chair. “Be there in a bit.” 

He hung up before Joshua could get another quip in, resigning himself to the fact he’d have to leave the cool sanctuary of his room, and that he was a complete idiot for going along with Joshua’s whims again. Maybe it was the temperature getting to him. Maybe he was actually curious about what was planned. But he’d been giving in more and more easily since early spring, so maybe, maybe he was just weirdly happy to be spending time with Joshua. 

The rush of blistering air when he stepped outside took his mind off that train of thought, thankfully, and he simply focused on the music coming from his headphones. There was practically no shade to be found when sun was so high, bright in the pieces of sky between the skyscrapers, reflecting and glinting off windows. He was already sweating when he reached the meeting place, the familiar image of the dog statue warped by the heat coming off the pavement in waves. Neku sidestepped a group of girls dressed in Sheep Heavenly, one of them complaining how she shouldn’t have worn tights, before he spotted Joshua, standing towards the edge of crowd with a bag slung over one shoulder. He was dressed more casually than usual, which was cause for suspicion, but he had already spotted Neku and gave him a little wave. No way to back out now. 

“I see you made it through the desert all right,” he teased, looking irritatingly unaffected by the weather. 

“Barely.” Neku’s eyes narrowed slightly as he swiped a hand over his forehead. “So where are we going?” 

“You’ll see. Come on.” Joshua pivoted around on his heel and started walking. “It’ll be fun.” 

“If you’re acting like this and we’re just going to WildKat, I swear, Joshua—” 

“Oh, please. I doubt Sanae’s even opened the place today.” He shrugged one shoulder, dismissively. “This is something new. We should make a stop before the main event, though.” 

“Main event?” Neku echoed, becoming increasingly more incredulous and wary as Joshua slipped into the first convenience store they came across. “Can’t you just _tell_ me?”

“That would ruin it.” Joshua glanced over his shoulder, shooting Neku a look of mocking concern. “What, you don’t like surprises?” 

“It’s not that.” He sighed, watching as Joshua continued his own mysterious agenda for the day, meandering through the isles thoughtfully. “Whatever. I’m getting ice cream while we’re here. You want one?” 

“Sure. Anything but—”

“Coconut,” Neku finished for him. “I know.” 

“Oh, so you do pay attention.” The smile he wore was both enigmatic and appraising, the one that made it seem like he could pry Neku open and rustle through his emotions and thoughts like a junk drawer. It unsettled him in a way that went beyond the anxiety of feeling like he was being assessed, likely because there were some things he did not want Joshua to find. Worst of all, the other always remained completely inscrutable about whatever it was he managed to garner from Neku’s words or body language. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair at _all_ how Neku kept feeling like he was playing a game of poker and Joshua could always see his hand. “Never thought you were really listening.” 

“Yeah, well. I notice more than you think.” Neku shrugged vaguely, tensing a second later when he heard Joshua laugh, derisive and skeptical.

“Really, now?” 

“ _Really_.” He turned away, bringing a hand up to curl uneasily around one side of his headphones. There was no way to win, since he couldn’t overtly protest that he did notice, noticed too much, picking up on Joshua’s preferences and mannerisms over time, how he hated peppers and never paid attention to his hair falling over his eyes if he was engrossed in something. Neku wasn’t sure when or why he started watching and filing things away, probably out of a desire to somehow find the key to reading Joshua as easily as Joshua read others, but now he found himself unable to stop, a hill he had no choice but to tumble down, left dizzy and helpless at the bottom. 

Soon enough, they were back outside, Joshua having completed whatever unexplained task he went in for, and the sweltering air was a welcome distraction. Neku wordlessly offered Joshua an ice cream as they walked, mango flavored, before tearing open the wrapper to his own. The coolness of it was barely a respite, and he was tired of the sun in his eyes and walking around in the oppressive, suffocating heat. 

“So are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” Neku shot a glare in Joshua’s direction but only caught the other licking up the side of his ice cream bar. The flash of tongue was unexpected, the little hint evoking a strange sort of shiver, and he dropped his gaze down to the sidewalk. 

“Haven’t you ever heard that patience is a virtue?” 

“I’ll take that as a no.” Finally resigning himself to the fact Joshua wasn’t going to budge on the subject, Neku simply followed along blankly, trying not to glance over lest he see more things the other was doing with his tongue. It wasn’t until his ice cream was just down to the stick that he noticed the crowds had thinned out and, strangely, they were approaching the sports fields of their school, the familiar buildings in the distance reflecting the strong sunshine. 

“Here we are,” Joshua said, tossing away his trash in a nearby can before approaching the fence. Neku did the same, dazedly, staring in utter disbelief as the other reached through the bars to start fiddling with the lock on the gate. 

“What the _hell_ Joshua? You seriously dragged me out to go to school?”

“We won’t be going to the classrooms, silly.” He snorted, slowly turning the combination dial. “We’re going to the warm-up pool.” 

“Warm-up pool?” Neku blinked, eyebrows furrowing as the lock popped open with a loud click, and Joshua pushed the gate open. “How did you do that?” 

“Yes. You know that pool that’s right outside the indoor one? Not very big, but it’ll be fun.” Joshua slipped inside, tossing a faint, smug smile over his shoulder. “And I saw the combination when I was in the main office once. Memorized them in case it came in handy. Lock that up again, will you? Don’t want an open gate causing suspicion.” 

“If you wanted to go swimming, I just don’t see why we couldn’t go to the public pool.” Neku did as asked, however, making sure it was shut tight and didn’t look tampered with, before heading across the track field with Joshua. 

“With those crowds? No thank you.” Joshua shook his head. “This way we have the whole place to ourselves.” 

“I guess.” It was a good point, one that Neku wasn’t going to admit to out of pride, but he had a feeling Joshua already knew as much, judging from how self-satisfied he still looked. Asshole. 

The fence surrounding the warm-up pool was short enough to be jumped easily, Neku turning around to admire the clear, glassy surface of the water once they were both safely over. He heard a soft thud beside him, likely Joshua’s bag hitting the ground, but didn’t glance over until the sound of rustling fabric followed. Joshua had already discarded his shirt, and was in the process of sliding off his pants, revealing a pair of black boxers and more smooth, unblemished skin. After only being allowed glimpses, from the times Joshua loosened his uniform tie or wore open collared shirts, it was completely jarring to have Joshua in front of him like this, all lithe and soft and perfect, the very thing Neku steadfastly pretended he didn’t constantly daydream about.

“You’re staring,” Joshua commented, amusement coloring his tone. 

“Just wondering how you’re not bursting into flames out here, since you’re so pale.” Neku busied himself with slipping his headphones off his ears and setting them in a safe place, thankful any sort of flush could easily be blamed on the heat. 

“I put on sunscreen already. I bet you’re upset you missed the chance to help me apply it.” 

“Yeah, right.” The image of his hands roaming over those slim shoulders flashed in his mind for just a moment before forcefully pushed it away. “I could have brought swim trunks if you’d told me about this, you know.” 

“Like I’ve been saying, that would ruin the surprise.” Neku followed the other’s movements over to the low diving board on the deeper end of the pool. “Besides, it’s hot enough that anything that gets wet will dry out quick.”

“That’s not the point,” Neku protested, but Joshua simply waved him off, far more preoccupied with stepping to the end of the board and executing a swan dive into the water. The ripples from the splash fanned out, hitting the edge and recoiling, distorting Joshua’s image beneath the surface. Neku shook his head, muttering _show off_ under his breath as he peeled his shirt off and tossed it somewhere behind him. 

“This is nice.” Joshua eventually popped up and started to swim in lazy, slow circles, casting a glance over his shoulder. “You going to join me?” 

Instead of responding verbally, Neku simply kicked his pants and shoes to the side before taking a running start and leaping into the water. The spray it caused would be enough to aggravate Joshua, which, as small of a trick as it was, would be satisfactory payback for the other’s haughtiness, at least for now. Sure enough, when Neku surfaced, Joshua was wiping water out of his eyes, lips pressed into a thin line. 

“You’re right. This is nice.” He couldn’t help the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, even when Joshua retaliated and swept his arm in an arc across the water, sending a swath of it in Neku’s direction. “So what do we do now?” 

“What do you mean? Just relax.” Joshua demonstrated by floating on his back, drifting languidly with small kicks of his legs. “You’re not suggesting we play Marco Polo or some such nonsense?” 

“No, but just…swimming around is kind of boring.” He was still a little annoyed, at the heat and at stupid Joshua for never being straightforward and at himself for going along with the other’s whims anyway. It irked him more to see how relaxed Joshua was, coasting along quietly and at complete ease. Neku wanted to ruffle his feathers again, like when he was splashed, just because it was so _rare_. Could anyone else do it? It gave Neku a strange sense of giddy satisfaction, and the second a half-decent idea formed in his head, he pushed off the wall, gliding out to where Joshua floated before wrapping his arm around the other’s waist and yanking him under. 

He could feel Joshua squirming, trying to wriggle away, but Neku just tightened his grip. Eventually, he managed to slip through, sputtering and gasping when he finally came back up. Neku realized far too late that he shouldn’t have started laughing at that, because Joshua was on him in an instant, dunking his head underwater and holding him there. After a bit of thrashing, Neku finally got free, coughing and pushing his hair away from his eyes when he surfaced again. 

“Shit, that got up my nose!” 

“Your own fault.” Joshua giggled, unrepentant, which only made Neku want to toss water into his face again, and soon everything dissolved into splashes and tackles and tugs on legs and shoulders to pull each other under the surface. By the end of it, Neku was breathless and Joshua was full out laughing, clinging to the edge so he wouldn’t have to focus on treading water at the same time. Neku wasn’t sure he had seen Joshua laugh like that before, when it was so unrestrained, the sound lilting and reminiscent of bells. Warmth seeped right down to his bones. 

“You gonna be okay?” He joked, and Joshua nodded, finally calming down enough to hoist himself out of the pool. Neku found his eyes following the trail droplets made along Joshua’s torso, over his stomach and down to the hint of hipbone, made more prominent by how low his boxers sat from the weight of the water saturating them. He suddenly found it hard to swallow, mouth dry, and fuck what would it feel like if he got to kiss and lick at that pale, pretty skin? The warmth he felt before was quickly pooling in the pit of his stomach, causing it to twist into an entirely different feeling, and Neku forced his attention away, paddling over to the shallow end before Joshua noticed anything out of the ordinary. 

“All right. _That_ was decently fun, I admit.” He could hear the splat of wet footsteps as Joshua walked around the concrete. Neku said nothing in response as he clambered out of the pool, gaze flicking over to Joshua, watching the other amble over to his bag to pull something out of it, wet, black cotton clinging to his thighs and ass— “Here. Towel.” 

“Thanks.” Neku reached out to take it, drying off his face and torso and trying to pretend he wasn’t just checking Joshua out. It shouldn’t be happening. It _shouldn’t_. 

“Come on. We can go dry off in the grass.” Joshua had already slipped his shirt back on and picked up the bag, waiting for Neku to do the same and gather his things before they made their way over to the grassy hill that sloped down into the track field, settling under one of the maple trees. Once seated, Joshua reached into his bag again and tossed Neku a soda, still cold and dripping with condensation. 

“How did you…?” 

“It’s what I stopped into the convenience store for.” He shrugged, twisting open the cap to his own drink. “Although I brought a couple of those freeze packs from home so it would stay cold.” 

“I guess you thought of everything.” Neku shook his head a bit, hiding the smile that crept up by taking a sip of soda. 

“You expect anything less?” Joshua leaned back until his head was pillowed on his folded towel, hands resting over his stomach. Neku didn’t answer, slipping his headphones back on instead. He was content to get lost in something with a smooth, deep guitar, hard drumbeat and unique vocals, to clear his mind and forget about the churning feelings in the center of his chest that made him hyperaware of the other next to him. Before too long, though, there was a poke to his shoulder and he looked over to see Joshua squinting up at him thoughtfully. He tapped his ear, and Neku took the hint, lifting one side of his headphones away. “What are you always listening to on those?” 

“Music,” Neku replied, bluntly. Joshua just rolled his eyes. 

“No, I mean, what sort? You know, genres, bands, and the like.” 

“I dunno. A bunch of different stuff.” It was the vague answer he gave most people, but Joshua wasn’t most people, was he? “You wanna listen?” 

“Really?” There was genuine surprise in Joshua’s voice, enough that Neku offered his headphones easily, just to see what the other would do, and was rewarded by a slight, but elated smile as Joshua took them. 

“You can even change the song to something you like.” He placed the MP3 player within Joshua’s reach, but the other was already settling back with the headphones securely over his ears, apparently content with the music choice. Neku leaned against the trunk of the tree, looking out onto the track field, a little thankful any semblance conversation had been dropped. He didn’t feel like holding up his end of it. 

The world always seemed different without music in the background, and slowly, he’d notice small things like the cicadas’ high buzzing and the sound of sirens in the distance. His mind wandered as he took swigs from his drink, to what he felt like for dinner, to how much school was going to suck up his free time in a few days, and to various sketch ideas that made his hands itch for paper and a pencil. At some point, his absent thoughts began to bend towards Joshua, towards how he looked, towards how Neku couldn’t _stop looking_. An insidious little voice in the back of his head asked him if it would really be that bad if he said something, anything, to Joshua. To poised, enigmatic, petulant, know-it-fucking-all Joshua. To Joshua, who still sometimes felt as out of reach and untouchable as he was before they met, some figurehead of cool impassiveness he only knew from rumors Eri mentioned and as the guy who sat behind him in literature and history. It was almost laughable. 

“Real hilarious,” Neku muttered, glancing over to check that he hadn’t been caught talking to himself. Luckily, Joshua had his eyes closed, expression calm and peaceful, and Neku wondered if he had fallen asleep. He nudged the other’s leg gently with his foot. “Hey. Hey, you awake?” 

“Yes.” He opened his eyes almost immediately, peering up at Neku through his eyelashes. “Would it have mattered if I decided to take a nap?” 

“Not really. You shouldn’t leave me sitting here all bored if you’re the one that invited me out, though.” 

“Here. I’m done listening.” Joshua sat up, sliding the headphones off before handing them back over to Neku. “And there’s a reason I was so adamant today.” 

“Oh? Gonna make me guess what it is?” He fiddled with the MP3 player, absently looking at the screen to see what songs Joshua had gone through. 

“No. My father comes back from business overseas tomorrow.” 

“And?” Neku’s eyebrows furrowed, quizzically, letting his headphones rest around his neck. “What does that have to do with anything?” 

“Not a whole lot, admittedly,” Joshua explained. “It’s not an uncommon occurrence, after all. But whenever he comes back, I’m made to spend time with him and mother at dinners and such, since he’s never back for long. So today was the last day of break I had all to myself.” 

“Really?” The sudden rush of satisfaction Neku felt at the knowledge that Joshua decided to spend the day with him was ridiculous, bordering on pathetic, because it was stupid to think it was _just_ for him, Joshua simply never liked being bored—

“Really. One last hurrah before school starts up again.” He gestured widely, as if to the whole city that lay beyond the fence. 

“I guess. Knowing my luck, I’ll have you in history again and you’ll never shut up with all those dumb facts you know.” He followed the sweep of the other’s arm, fingers absentmindedly running over the dips and bumps along the plastic of his headphones. 

“Oh, please. You’d never pass anything without me.” Joshua snorted. “I should start charging you tutoring fees.” 

“Yeah, well. How about I treat you to dinner and we call it even?” Neku brushed stray bits of grass off his boxers, and, finding them sufficiently dry, stood to pull his bottoms back on. 

“I'm not going to say no, of course, but what’s gotten into you?” He glanced over to Joshua, to the way the dappled sunlight peeking through the leaves cast shadows over his face and hair, and answered with the only thing that wasn’t _you, you're my friend, I know, I know that, but it's you Josh_ , the only sort of half-truth that still felt safe. 

“I don’t know.”


End file.
